The history of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church is deeply rooted in the history of Irish Presby­terianism, which traces its ancestry back to the Scottish Reformation. It was not until 1927, however, that the Evangelical Presbyterian Church emerged as a distinct denomination. In the early years of this century higher criticism of the Bible and modernist theology became firmly established in the Presbyterian College in Belfast.
This departure caused great concern amongst people of evangelical and reformed thinking and as a result the Bible Standards League came into being to contend for the old theology. One of the leading exponents of this new theology was Professor J. E. Davey. A group of evangelical ministers and laymen, deeply troubled by the effect of Professor Davey’s views, felt compelled to bring charges against him, alleging that what he was teaching and writing was contrary to the doctrinal standards of the Irish Presbyterian Church. Five specific charges were laid against him, namely,

A denial of the doctrine of imputation of our guilt to Christ and His righteousness to us.
A denial of the impeccable character of Christ.
A denial of the infallibility of the Bible.
The view that, in some way, God was responsible for man’s sin.
That the doctrine of the Trinity was not taught in the Word of God.
Despite evidence drawn from his own published works and notes taken in his classes both the Belfast Presbytery and General Assembly found him “not guilty” on all five charges. The Presbytery proceeded to ban all discussion of the subject and a commission, armed with Assembly powers, was formed to subdue protest from within the ranks of the Church. Some, however, could not keep silence, the struggle for orthodoxy had to be maintained, cost what it may. Anticipating disciplinary action by the commission,
Rev. James Hunter, minister of Knock Presbyterian Church and a leader in the Bible Standards League, resigned his charge and membership of the Irish Presbyterian Church in July 1927. In October of that year the Irish Evangelical Church came into being.

The name of the Church was changed in 1964 to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, a title which was a more accurate reflection of the denomination’s stance.

A verse to ponder…

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8:38-39